Related Links

The University of Texas-Pan American ranks No. 5 in the nation in the number of undergraduate and graduate degrees awarded to Hispanic students according to the May 2014 edition of The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine. In addition, UTPA ranked in the top 10 in four of 10 categories of academic programs in which higher education institutions awarded degrees to Hispanics.

Other accolades UTPA received were earning:

• the No. 4 national ranking for enrollment of master's and Ph.D. Hispanic students with 2,120, representing 78 percent of the overall enrollment of graduate students;

• the No. 5 national ranking for awarding undergraduate and graduate degrees to Hispanics. The 2,821 degrees awarded represents 87 percent of the graduating class; and

• the No. 5 national ranking for enrollment of undergraduate Hispanic students with 15,099, representing 91 percent of overall enrollment of undergraduate students.

In the lists of degrees awarded for specific academic programs, UTPA ranked:

• No. 2 (tied with UT Austin) in mathematics and statistics;

• No. 4 in homeland security law enforcement;

• No. 8 in engineering; and

• No. 10 in communication/journalism

For the past 13 years, UTPA has been recognized by The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine as a Top 100 college for Hispanic Students.

"We are delighted that the University of Texas - Pan American continues to play a critical role, at the national level, in the education of Latinos/as or Hispanics," says UTPA Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Havidán Rodríguez.

Rodríguez adds that given the changing demographic composition of the U.S., Hispanics will have an increasingly significant role and impact on the local, regional and national economies.

"Access to higher education is key to the success of our students, their families, and the social and economic prosperity of the Rio Grande Valley and beyond," Rodríguez says. "UTPA, soon to become UTRGV with UT Brownsville, must continue to work to ensure our students receive the best education possible, thus contributing to their success while maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence."

The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education surveys the Top 100 predominantly Hispanic-serving four-year colleges and universities in the United States and Puerto Rico each year. Data from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is used to create the rankings.

Other UT System schools that were ranked among the top 100 are The University of Texas at El Paso (No. 4), The University of Texas San Antonio (No. 7) The University of Texas at Brownsville (No. 9) and The University of Texas at Austin (No. 13).

UT Pan American is a member institute of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and one of more than 350 Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) in the United States and Puerto Rico, accredited with a full-time Hispanic enrollment of 25 percent or greater.